Dispenser

ABSTRACT

A dispenser ( 1 ) for hygienic products, has a main portion ( 2 ) attachable to a wall. The dispenser includes a door ( 7 ) pivotally mounted to a bottom portion ( 3 ) of the main portion ( 2 ). The door ( 7 ) is openable at a top portion ( 4 ) of the main portion ( 2 ) and swung out from the main portion ( 2 ) in a rotational movement upon opening. The door ( 7 ) is pivotally mounted to the main portion ( 2 ) via a pair of first and second link arms ( 10 ) describing a trapezoid arrangement when the door ( 7 ) is closed, and the trapezoid arrangement is arranged to balance the rotational movement of the door ( 7 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention refers to a dispenser for hygienic products. The dispensercomprises a door pivotally mounted to a bottom portion of a mainportion. The door is openable at a top portion of the main portion andis swung out from the main portion in a rotational movement uponopening.

BACKGROUND ART

In the field of dispensers for storing and dispensing hygienic products,one type of dispenser comprises a main portion attached to a wall and adoor pivotally mounted to a bottom portion of the main portion viapivoting means. The door is opened at a top portion of the main portionand is swung out from the wall in a rotational movement about thepivoting means. The dispensers are equipped with an opening in thebottom portion from which the hygienic products are accessible. Theopening is preferably positioned 1-1.5 meters from the floor for optimalcomfort for the user. The dispenser is about 0.5 meters high from thebottom portion to the top portion. The present dispensers have theproblem that the door when opened is subject to gravity and thereforestarts rotating with a high rotational speed unless handled by the user.Furthermore, the top portion is placed at a high position and the doormay therefore for some users be hard to handle to control the rotation.

There is thus a need for a better dispenser where the above stateddisadvantages are removed and the loading of hygienic products issimplified.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The invention refers to a dispenser for storing hygienic products. Forexample, hand towels or a roll of paper, or the like. In the followingdescription, hand towels will be used when describing the invention. Thehand towels are normally folded and stacked on top of each other. Thehand towels may also be in the form of single sheet not being folded.

The dispenser comprises a main portion attached to a wall and a doorpivotally mounted to a bottom portion of the main portion. The door isopened at a top portion of the main portion and is swung out from themain portion in a rotational movement. The invention is characterised inthat the door is attached to the main portion via a pair of first andsecond link arms. In a preferred embodiment the door is attached via twopairs of first and second link arms.

The first link arms are pivotally mounted to each side of the mainportion at first points of attachment and are pivotally mounted to eachside of the door via second point of attachment. The second link armsare pivotally mounted to each side of the main portion at third pointsof attachment and are pivotally mounted to each side of the door viafourth points of attachment.

In order to facilitate the description of the invention only one side ofthe dispenser is described. In the embodiment comprising two pairs offirst and second link arms, the opposite side is of course arranged in asimilar manner.

In at least a closed door position, the first and second link armstogether with an imaginary line between the first and third points ofattachment and an imaginary line between the second and fourth point ofattachment, describe a trapezoid.

The first point of attachment is placed above and closer to the doorthan the third point of attachment. The second point of attachment isplaced above and closer to the door than the fourth point of attachment.

The benefits of the invention is that the link arms balances the doorsuch that when opened the door slowly rotates to a stopping position.The stopping position is an intermediate or semi-closed position wherethe door is open enough for a user to handle the door from a lowerposition than at the top portion. The lower position refers to asuitable point somewhere between the bottom portion and the top portion.The user may handle the door by grabbing the door by its sides or one ofits sides, in a crack between the door and the main portion. The usermay then continue to open the door by forcing the door over the stopposition to a position where the door hangs essentially up-side down inthe link arms.

Another advantage of the invention is that, in the semi-closed position,a user may top up the stack of sanitary towels through the gap betweenthe door and the main portion.

In one embodiment of the invention, an upper part of the door is benttowards the main portion at an angle to a main part of the door, i.e.the rest of the door. The angle is preferably essentially perpendicularsince this gives the door a special feature when hanging up-side down,namely a possibility for the user to load hygienic products onto theangled upper part whereafter the door is closed and the stack ofhygienic products automatically falls into place in the dispenser. Theangle may of course be at another angle than essentially perpendicular,as long as the user experiences the benefit of being able to load thehygienic products according to above.

In one embodiment of the invention, the main portion comprises a backportion attached to the wall and two side portions extending essentiallyperpendicular from the back portion and from the bottom portion to thetop portion. The side portions have a contour that follows the contourof the door such that when the door is closed, the door covers the edgeportions of the side portions facing the door. The first and thirdpoints of attachment are placed at each side portions.

In one embodiment of the invention, the door comprises attachment meanson each side of the door extending essentially perpendicular from thedoor in the direction towards the main portion when the door is closed.The second and fourth points of attachment are positioned on the firstattachment means. The attachment means may be in the form of one pieceor in the form of a number of pieces. In the latter case, the first linkarm may be attached to one piece and the second link arm to a secondpiece.

The dispenser is equipped with an opening in the bottom portion fromwhich the hygienic products are accessible.

In one embodiment of the invention, the second link arm is placed closerto the side portion than the first link arm and the first link arm isplaced between the second link arm and the first attachment means. Thisposition of the link arms gives the necessary possibility for the fourthpoint of attachment to pass the first link arm during the movement ofthe door from opened to closed position and vice versa.

In one embodiment of the invention, a stop member is placed at each orone of the side portions, between the side portion and the second linkarm. The stop member blocks the movement of the second link arm in thesemi-closed position. In order for the door to be further opened, theuser has to force the door open by forcing the second link arm over thestop member. Here forcing the second link arm refers to the situationwhere the user rotates the door from the semi-closed position to theopen position.

In the semi-closed position the rotational force of the door is fairlylow why the stop member does not have to be in the form of a largephysical block, but merely a frictional element applying frictionalforce enough to stop the door from continuing its rotation unless forcedby a user.

The stop member does not need to be positioned between the side portionand the second link arm, but may be placed at another suitable positiongiving the desired effect. For example, the stop member may bepositioned between the first link arm and the second link arm.

All the above embodiments may be combined because the effect of the linkarm system becomes as described above. Furthermore, the link arms arepositioned such that they balance the rotational movement of the door byleverage. The balancing gives a rotational acceleration equal to orclose to zero from the closed position to the semi-closed position. Thismeans that the rotational speed of the upper portion of the door isessential constant or at most linearly increasing. Furthermore, when thedoor is rotated from the closed position to the semi-closed position,the link arm system transforms some of the rotational energy into atranslational energy forcing the bottom part of the door both in anupward direction and in a horizontal direction. Here upward refers to acounter gravity direction and the horizontal direction refers to adirection perpendicular to the main portion.

In order for the door to swing open according to the above, the verticalline of the centre of gravity of the door must pass outside the secondpoint of attachment, i.e. between the second point of attachment and thedoor. This is because the door is hanging in the first link arms inpivotal axes in the second points of attachment and starts its rotationabout these axes. The door is also supported by the second link arms viapivotal axes in the fourth points of attachment. When the door starts torotate the second link arms initially hinder movement of the most bottompart of the door and thereby forces the first link arm to rotateoutwardly, i.e. towards the door. The rotation of the first link armcauses rotation of the second link arm in the same direction. Therotation of the two link arms gives the translational movement of thedoor. The translational movement of the door is a consequence of thatthe second point of attachment moves along the rotational path of thefirst link arm and the fourth point of attachment moves along therotational path of the second link arm, where the first link arm and thesecond link arm has different centres of rotation. The link arms mayhowever have the same length, i.e. describing similar sizes of circles,but at different location. The link arms may also have different lengththereby describing circles of different radii.

The position of the first, second, third and fourth points of attachmenttogether with the lengths of the first and second link arms decides thetranslational movement and thus the possibility to transform therotational energy from the door. The translational movement thus has tobe matched with the centre of gravity of the door in order to balancethe rotational movement of the door according to above.

In one embodiment of the invention, the door is locked in its closedposition, and the centre of gravity of the door is outside the secondpoint of attachment in the closed position. As a consequence, the doorwill automatically start to swing open, i.e. rotate outwardly, when thedoor is unlocked. Preferably the lock is positioned in the top portion,but may also be positioned in any of the side portions or even thebottom portion.

The above description is also valid for a roll bar. IN this case, thedispenser may be equipped with a tear bar in the vicinity of the openingin the bottom portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will below be described in connection to a number ofdrawings, where;

FIG. 1 schematically shows a side view of a dispenser according to theinvention in a closed position;

FIG. 2 schematically shows a side view of a dispenser according to theinvention in a semi-closed position, and where;

FIG. 3 schematically shows a side view of a dispenser according to theinvention in an open position.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 schematically shows a side view of a dispenser 1 according to theinvention in a closed position. The dispenser 1 comprises a main portion2, a bottom portion 3, a top portion 4, two side portions 5, a backportion and a door 7. The back portion 6 is attachable to a wall (notshown). The door 7 is pivotally mounted to the bottom portion 3 of themain portion 2. The side portions 5 extend essentially perpendicularfrom the back portion 6 and extend from the bottom portion 3 to the topportion 4. The side portions 5 have a contour that follows the contourof the door 7 such that when the door 7 is closed, the door 7 coversedge portions 8 of the side portions 5 facing the door 7.

The door 7 is opened at the top portion 4 of the main portion 2 and isswung out from the main portion 2 in a rotational movement. The door 7is attached to the main portion 2 via two pairs of first and second linkarms 10. The first link arms 9 are pivotally mounted to the sideportions 5 at first points of attachment 11 and are pivotally mounted toeach side of the door 7 via second points of attachment 12. The secondlink arms 10 are pivotally mounted to the side portions 5 at thirdpoints of attachment 13 and are pivotally mounted to each side of thedoor 7 via fourth points of attachment 14. The second and fourth pointsof attachment 14 are positioned at a bottom part 15 of the door 7.

The door 7 comprises first and second attachment means 17 on each sideof the door 7 extending essentially perpendicular from the door 7 and inthe direction towards the main portion 2 when the door is closed. Thesecond points of attachment 12 are positioned on the first attachmentmeans 16 and the fourth points of attachment 14 are positioned on thesecond attachment means 17. The first attachment means 16 are positionedon the door 7 at a distance from a bottom edge of the door 7. The secondattachment means 17 are positioned between the bottom edge 18 and thefirst attachment means 16.

An upper part 19 of the door 7 is bent towards the main portion 2 at anangle α to a main part 20 of the door 7. The angle α is preferablyessentially perpendicular since this gives the door 7 a special featurewhen hanging up-side down, namely a possibility for the user to loadhygienic products (not shown) onto the angled upper part 19 whereafterthe door 7 is closed and the hygienic products automatically falls intoplace in the dispenser 1.

The dispenser 1 is equipped with a bottom opening 21 in the bottomportion 3 from which the hygienic products are accessible.

The side portions 5 comprise stop members 22 for reasons described inconnection to FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1 the first link arm 9 comprises a reinforcement member 23,reinforcing the second link arm 10 over the stop member 22 in anintermediate, semi-closed position shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a side view of the dispenser 1 according tothe invention in a semi-closed position.

The stop members 22 are placed at each of the side portions 5, betweenthe side portion 5 and the second link arm 10. The stop members 22 blockthe movement of the second link arms 10 in the semi-closed position. Inorder for the door 7 to be further opened, the user has to force thedoor 7 open by forcing the second link arm 10 over the stop member 22.

When comparing FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the upper part of the door 7 hasrotated outwardly about the link arm system. Furthermore, the rotationhas forced the link arm system 9, 10 to move the bottom part 15 of thedoor in a translational movement both in the vertical direction and inthe horizontal direction. Here translational refers to a linearmovement. Hence, the translational movements give the door a diagonalmovement during the rotation of the upper part.

Referring now to side portion 5 facing the reader in FIG. 2, the fourthpoint of attachment 14 is essentially in line with the third point ofattachment 13 and the bottom edge 18 of the door 7. This semi-closedposition is the limiting position for the translational movement.Continuous rotation of the upper part 19 will, due to the link armsystem 9, 10, make the fourth point of attachment 14 to rotate about thefirst point of attachment 12 in a clockwise direction until the secondlink arm 10 forces the first point of attachment 12 to start to rotateabout the fourth point of attachment 14 in a clockwise direction. Hence,the first link arm 9 and the second link arm 10 rotate in acounter-clockwise manner when the door rotates from the closed positionto the semi-closed position. After the semi closed position, the firstlink arm 9 is not moving until the fourth point of attachment 14 haspassed the first point of attachment 12 in the vertical direction. Atthis position the second link arm 10 and the rotation of the upper part19 of the door 7 causes the first link arm 9 to change direction ofrotation. In the case now described into a clockwise rotation about thefirst point of attachment 11. The same will of course happen at theopposite side portion, but in mirror-type of way.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a side view of the dispenser 1 according tothe invention in an open position.

The second link arm 10 is placed closer to the side portion 5 than thefirst link arm 9 and the first link arm 9 is placed between the secondlink arm 10 and the first attachment means 16. This position of the linkarms 9, 19 gives the necessary possibility for the fourth point ofattachment 14 to pass the first link arm 9 during the movement of thedoor 7 from open to close and vice versa.

In the open position the fourth points of attachment 14 have passed thesecond points of attachment 12 in a vertical direction. This is arequirement for rotating the door 7 from the closed position in FIG. 1to the open position in FIG. 3.

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A dispenser for hygienic paper products,comprising: a main portion, a bottom portion, a top portion, two sideportions, a back portion and a door, where the back portion isattachable to a wall, and where the side portions extend essentiallyperpendicular from the back portion and extend from the bottom portionto the top portion; the door is pivotally mounted to the bottom portionof the main portion, and being openable at the top portion of the mainportion and swung out from the main portion in a rotational movementupon opening, wherein the door is pivotally mounted to the main portionvia at least a pair of first and second link arms; the first link armbeing pivotally mounted to one of the side portions at a first point ofattachment and pivotally mounted to a side of the door via a secondpoint of attachment; the second link arm being pivotally mounted to theside portion at a third point of attachment and is pivotally mounted tothe side of the door via a fourth point of attachment; wherein, in aclosed door position, the first and second link arms together with animaginary line between the first and third points of attachment and animaginary line between the second and fourth point of attachmentdescribe a trapezoid arrangement arranged to balance the rotationalmovement of the door upon opening due to the first link arm beingarranged to give the second point of attachment a movement along arotational path of the first link arm about the first point ofattachment; and the second link arm being arranged to give the fourthpoint of attachment a movement along a rotational path of the secondlink arm about the third point of attachment, the first link arm and thesecond link arm having different centres of rotation.
 12. The dispenseraccording to claim 11, wherein the door is pivotally mounted to the mainportion via two pairs of first and second link arms.
 13. The dispenseraccording to claim 12, wherein the first link arms are pivotally mountedto each side of the main portion at first points of attachment and arepivotally mounted to each side of the door via second points ofattachment, and the second link arms are pivotally mounted to each sideof the main portion at third points of attachment and are pivotallymounted to each side of the door via fourth points of attachment. 14.The dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the first point ofattachment is placed above and closer to the door than the third pointof attachment and where the fourth point of attachment is placed belowand closer to the main portion than the second point of attachment. 15.The dispenser according to claim 11, further comprising stop membersplaced at the side portion, between the side portion and the second linkarm; and the stop members blocking the movement of the second link armsin a semi-closed position.
 16. The dispenser according to claim 11,wherein the side portions have a contour that follows the contour of thedoor such that when the door is closed, the door covers edge portions ofthe side portions facing the door.
 17. The dispenser according to claim11, wherein an upper part of the door is bent towards the main portionat an angle to a main part of the door.
 18. The dispenser according toclaim 11, wherein first and second link arms are arranged such that therotational movement of the door is transformed also into a translationalmovement of a bottom part of the door in both a horizontal direction andin a vertical direction.
 19. The dispenser according to claim 18,wherein the translational movement is a consequence of that the firstlink arm is arranged to give the second point of attachment a movementalong the rotational path of the first link arm, and where the secondlink arm is arranged to give the fourth point of attachment a movementalong the rotational path of the second link arm; and the first link armand the second link arm having different centres of rotation.
 20. Thedispenser according to claim 12 wherein the side portions have a contourthat follows the contour of the door such that when the door is closed,the door covers edge portions of the side portions facing the door. 21.The dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the side portions have acontour that follows the contour of the door such that when the door isclosed, the door covers edge portions of the side portions facing thedoor.
 22. The dispenser according to claim 14, wherein the side portionshave a contour that follows the contour of the door such that when thedoor is closed, the door covers edge portions of the side portionsfacing the door.
 23. The dispenser according to claim 12, wherein anupper part of the door is bent towards the main portion at an angle to amain part of the door.
 24. The dispenser according to claim 13, whereinan upper part of the door is bent towards the main portion at an angleto a main part of the door.
 25. The dispenser according to claim 14,wherein an upper part of the door is bent towards the main portion at anangle to a main part of the door.
 26. The dispenser according to claim15, wherein an upper part of the door is bent towards the main portionat an angle to a main part of the door.
 27. The dispenser according toclaim 12, wherein first and second link arms are arranged such that therotational movement of the door is transformed also into a translationalmovement of a bottom part of the door in both a horizontal direction andin a vertical direction.
 28. The dispenser according to claim 13,wherein first and second link arms are arranged such that the rotationalmovement of the door is transformed also into a translational movementof a bottom part of the door in both a horizontal direction and in avertical direction.
 29. The dispenser according to claim 14, whereinfirst and second link arms are arranged such that the rotationalmovement of the door is transformed also into a translational movementof a bottom part of the door in both a horizontal direction and in avertical direction.
 30. The dispenser according to claim 15, whereinfirst and second link arms are arranged such that the rotationalmovement of the door is transformed also into a translational movementof a bottom part of the door in both a horizontal direction and in avertical direction.
 31. The dispenser according to claim 16, whereinfirst and second link arms are arranged such that the rotationalmovement of the door is transformed also into a translational movementof a bottom part of the door in both a horizontal direction and in avertical direction